Updated: Josie Nordman to undergo lung transplant surgery

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Rising Communication junior Josie Nordman is scheduled to undergo lung transplant surgery early Sunday morning, possibly capping months of fundraising by the Northwestern community for the life-saving operation.

“I cannot believe this day is finally here,” Nordman said at about 8:30 p.m. in a Facebook post. “I will go into surgery in a few hours to have a lung transplant, and begin the next chapter of my life.”

Nordman, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 4 months old, was placed on the lung transplant list in December. Her lungs are only 16 percent functional due to the disease.

Since the beginning of the year, dozens of student organizations have raised thousands of dollars for Nordman’s lung transplant fund. Her family has said they will have to pay up to $75,000 for the procedure.

Nordman’s surgery was originally slated for about 10 p.m. Saturday at the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to her mom, Nicolle Nordman. The operation, which is expected to last 10 hours, was then pushed back to 4 a.m. Sunday because of a delay in harvesting the lungs from a donor.